Transcription
Dear Papa,
Owing to the fact that I went to London on a weekend and had some duties to make up I have had no chance for several days to write anyone and hence it is over a week since I wrote you last. Nothing much has happened since I wrote last. I have taken up the banjo, the landlady owns one which she cannot play, and I was plunking on it one day when my servant came in with the boots and it turned out he is a good player. He is giving me lessons & got a lot of tutorial books for me. I am to have a lesson tonight. I do not find it so hard to learn as when trying to pick it up myself at home.
Well old Dick Weaver for he came over with me from the company is now in France. He was not posted here. Kirkman and I have not yet got any orders for leave etc, nor has Cockbeurm yet received orders to sail though he has had his last leave for several weeks. He goes to Salonika, as regards myself, I am to be kept here in definitely I am told. I do not know for how long, but I guess it is good news to you anyway. in our section I am the only officer left except the O.C. who lives with us. The major asked him about a week ago whether he should send me on my last leave and my O.C. section said no, he needed me, so the major said "all right, we'll keep him a while." It may be a matter of weeks or of months, I do not know. At any rate I have not had mt leave and it has been unusual thing that they do not get sailing under till after a couple of weeks after they have returned from leave so I will be here another month at least.
I received 2 letters from Blauche one from Camilla, one from Ella, and 2 from you since I wrote last, so that is very nice. I was glad to hear all is well with you, I hope you can keep [???] [??] [???].
On Friday night, Kirkman and I got weekend leave for London, we had quite a nice time. I saw Piffle Taylor, Frank Foster, Aickmore and Mossman of the old company. Taylor & Faith are in the flying corps, Foster being on 2 weeks leave from France where he has seen quite a bit of air fighting and has brought down several Hun machines. Kirkman is Burn Mossman's brother and has been in England for several months with a shrapnel wound in the hand. I also saw Hugh Reid, one of the two [?????????] Lieut's of the old company. He was in the Naval Air Service and could not stand the altitude so is out of it. He has applied for the Canadain Infantry which leaves in 4 weeks for France and I am trying my best to dissuade him, and trying to get him into the field artillery. He is coming down here t spend a few days with me and see how artillery works.
On Saturday i went with Kirkman to some friends of his in Richmond near London, a charming old lady there named Miss Donovan, a typical English lady of [????????] Put an idea into my head about Camilla's wedding present, I am in a quandary. She suggested a wooden tray, inlaid, genuinely antique, which she says is quite the vague. She offered to go with me and pick it out so it would be really genuine and not imitation antique. I am sure Camilla would like that, particularly as it would be typically English and several hundred years old. I think therefore that I will cable you tomorrow not to buy the present, and I will get a tray. It will not arrive in time for the wedding perhaps but will be acceptable anyways. If you have already purchased something I think you could get the money back, if not give it also from yourself. The more I have thought of it the more I think Camilla would appreciate something like I suggest more, and it would be meer as coneny from England. So I will do it even if it doesn't arrive in time for the wedding. The diffidently will be as to time for I have to go to Richmond for it and get Miss Donovan to go with me else I will get skimmed on an imitation which are made very cleverly over here and it takes a connoisseur like her to tell the difference.
I bought a pair of slippers tonight for $2 which are very nice though I could not get tan leather but only black.
On Saturday in London I was dreaming about 8 a.m & guns going off and woke to the sound of an air raid. Many anti aircraft guns were going off, but I could not see any Hun machines. They had been driven away, I leaned out of the window in my pajamas smoking several cigarettes waiting for something to happen but was disappointed. It was my first experience of the famous "Archie"bursting in the air. "Archie" is the name for the peculiar shells of specially made anti airwall guns. I could hear the "pops" distinctly all around but [??????] to a [???????] Above I could not see the bursts or machines either. I do not want the people to be raided for my amusement but I thought it was a shame that a raid should take place while I was in London, and not see any excitement.
It is very fortunate that you found those [????????] Changes & the others, for your new addition, for as you say those things do count (I have just had my banjo lesson and had to [????????] The letter as my servant has to get back to camp by a certain time each night for roll-call) I hope your [?????????????] Pays in good time so you will have a steady inflow of money for summer use. You must spend some of it for your own enjoyment this summer.
The war I not going very well just now. Once again Britain will have to strike hard before the prepared time for Russia's sake. She needed another month of preparation and now will have to strike before she was quite ready. Everybody is afraid that Russia will be seriously invaded before the [???????????] Wake up, and then will be a hand fight to win their way back. It is too bad, but then liberty is a new feeling and she will have to go through what France did in her revolution. Venizelos seems [???????] to be preparing to strike which in welcome United States Troops will come in handy in large numbers for the "push" you soon will be reading about. But I am afraid the war is doomed to another year.
I received the box of eats Tuesda. It is [?????????] A fine one, and thanks very much. Yes, Hech Gardimen is about again, his face is completely changed but not his spirit. I am glad Don Sharpe made good - Sid Curran I am afraid is like a good many others "a washout." I am sorry [??????] Albert is under the weather. He certainly needs an assistant, I must write him right away.
Well this is all the news for this time.
Yours affectionately,
Harry.Transcriber
Victoria StewartLanguage
English
